The North PacificBoard

The alarm woke me up in the morning. I switched off the alarm and curled up into my blanket again. I curled into it as long as my mother came into my room and shouted on me.

"Sharvya, wake up already! It's 7'o clock. Wake up already and get ready for school!"

Now I needed to finally come over of my laziness and wake up from the bed. I glanced over my phone. 17th November 6:40 am. Yea my mother had the habit to exaggerate things to terrify me. However 'terrify' was a normal word for a girl like me. I had been a 18 year old for atleast a month now and had been to school 12 years of my life, but I am yet to form any friends. They all loved to keep their distance from me. They all saw me as a gloomy and boring girl. I was not an extrovert- and my laziness never allowed me to be an extrovert. I never got bullied or anybody spoke anything ill about me- atleast not in front of me. They all just loved to keep their distance from me. I sometimes wonder whether do I even exist in my classroom or not. Sometimes I wish people bullied me. With all my regular depressive thoughts and querries- I got off my bed and started getting ready for school. I was slightly late for my 8 am class-so I just took a bite of my breakfast and left to catch the bus.

The bus stop was located on the Ramunabari Road- also the namesake of the bus stop. This paved road once used to be an important marketplace in the city. Huge crowds were common-espicially during the festive season. Various types of shops and stalls used to work beside the bus stop. However lately, the marketplace has been moved to a broader place a kilometre away- obviously because marketplace on the road is troublesome. The decision did also changed the life and soul of this once lively road. Now it is bascially a deserted road with just a couple of vehicles or buses passing by.

I was fortunate enough to be on time for the bus. I took the bus and reached my school in time.

'Class 12-A'
I entered my class and took the last bench as I usually do, without speaking a word. I was pretty tall for any average Asian or Indian teenage girl. I haven't measured my height in months but I should stand around 5'10 . It was the reason why I was in the basketball team in the eight grade. Whether my height was my reason for being in the team or either I was tall because I was in the team, I did not remember that. My memories was mostly blurred and I was too lazy to force my mind to remember any of them. However my purpose of telling this was I was easily able to see the blackboard from the back bench- or the whiteboard- or actually the projector- whatever is that.

Soon enough, a girl entered my classroom and the whole classroom made a noise. Girls surrounded her and the boys also gave out a few words. They were talking about something, or a few things. It's very difficult to understand what they are speaking without any contextual idea- even when they speak the same language as me. Sheetal Mahapatra. I think that was her name. Long brown hair, fair skin, a cute red bow around her collar, great eyes and nose, great body. If I had to sum up her physical qualities in one word- I would call her 'beautiful'. Moreover, she was the topper of the classroom. She was like the rolemodel of every other girl of the class- or every other boy. I do not know if any of them are actually jealous of her or not. But I am. She was the complete opposite of me. It's not like I was not beautiful- atleast not according to me- or is that every girl thinks about herself? Then I might not blame myself. However by 'opposite' I mean she was an extrovert and had all lively qualities. Most importantly, she was popular. I think that's what which made her the antonymn of my existence. I was not poor in studies but she was completely a topper material. Students used to take notes and clear doubts from her. On the contrary, nobody ever asked me for a pen.

The lively atmosphere of the classroom was interrupted by the teacher. Everybody took their seats. Classes went as normal as expected. The day went average and normal to me. Seeing people chat, laugh,play from my souless bench and souless body. The sun was shinning and the early winter wind was blowing. Studies were at its most serious time. Only three months left for the boards to arrive. I wonder I am going to spend maybe 3 or 4 months at the maximum here. Aftter that, I am not going to see these faces again. At this point, I had completely given up. I am not going to talk or see them ever again. I was probably wondering about the probable options I can take after passing my 12th and graduating from here. I continued to look out of the window.

The classes ended by 2 pm. I never went to any tuitions, nor any clubs or any extra-ciricullar activies- it's not like my lazy body could even bear any such stuff. Six hours were enough to break my body into pieces. It was a sign for me to go home and take a nap. I took my bag and rushed out of the school premises. This was probably the happiest time for me in the day. I could think about getting a good rest after the tiring day. I took the city bus from Patia to Ramunabari Road- the nearest bus stop from my house. The sky had now started to get cloudy and dark- it might rain soon. I did not remember of any rain warnings by the weather centre or any such notifications. I was just stairing at the night sky from my little bangs in front of my face-through the window.

I arrived at the Ramunabari Road bus stop at about 2:30 pm. I deboarded the bus and started waking towards my home. There was a scent in the weather that it might rain heavily soon- and I did not had my umbrella with me- so I was thinking of reaching home as quickly as I could. I walked down the Ramunabari Road- once a lively road as said before. I scrolled a while through my phone and then looked ahead on the road- I saw a figure at a distance. Long brown hair, fair skin, a cute red bow around her collar, great eyes and nose, great body. If I had to sum up her physically qualities in one word- I would call her "beautiful". There was no doubt this girl was the popular topper girl of my class- Sheetal Mahapatra. But what was she doing here? Before I could think of anything I saw a car approaching on the road. When the car came closer- she dashed towards the car. I tried to scream her name with all the energy I had- but nothing came out. And then......

(gasps)

Pure red blood splashed all on the road. The car skidded and stopped after a while, but the damage had been done. Not long after a small crowd gathered around the body. Her body did not even move an inch. The ambulance was called. The air grew humid and the rain started to fall on the ground. I covered my mouth and dashed towards my house. I....I was speechless. It was as if somebody has just muted me and taken away my voice. Did I just witness the accident of the most popular person of my classroom? It was surreal. I had completely lost my thinking abilities.I did not even go near the body to check whether she survived or not. I banged my house's front door and rushed to my room. I was slightly wet becuase of the rain, with just grew heavier. I plunged onto my bed and started at the ceiling fan. Did it really just happen? I might had wished it for happening a couple of times out of my jealously or irritation. But seeing it really happen.... I had lost any emotions I had in my souless body. I opened my phone and looked at the group chat. I was still there in the group chat for some reason- mostly because the school had to make one to inform the students of each sections and the students not knowing whose number was whose- added everyone in their group except the admins-who were the teachers, in their own group without the teachers. I never message there or something like that. I think I was just there. I saw the messages and the messages had given me the last blow-

3:38pm - "Did you hear about Sheetal?"
3:39 pm- "Hm"
3:39 pm-" Did anybody go to the hospital?"
3:41pm- "It's too late now"
3:41 pm- "I called Sharani-she did not pick up. I hope she's okay"
3:41 pm- "Miserable"
3:42 pm- "Not the place to talk, is it?"
3:43 pm- "It's just terrible"

I kept my phone down. I did not know this lady either. I just saw this woman from a distance all my life. But seeing her die in front of me had completely terrified me. I believe 'terrify' is the word. I curled my body in the blanket. I tried to hide my face inside both of my legs. It was a terrible occurance. Not soon after, my mind fell into sleep. I could only see her laughing face in front of my eyes- and then her miserbale face and the car, and how she died.

This happened for a few times- and then I heard the voice of my alarm. I woke up and switched off my alarm. I really did not remember when did I put an alarm this evening. Maybe I put it for something earlier and then forgot to switch it off. Nevertheless I curled myself again inside the blanket, trying to bring myself back into consciousness after the incident. It was unusually kinda chilly for a late afternoon weather- even for mid-November. Maybe it was so because of the rain. Soon after, my mother barged inside the room and said-

"Sharvya, wake up already! It's 7'o clock. Wake up already and get ready for school!"

..... Huh? What?

I could only think of this as my mother walked outside my room. I looked outside the window and then at my phone, and peeked over the date and time displaying over my phone.

17th November 6:40 am

CHAPTER TWO- LOOP TWO

...TO BE CONTINUED...